Introduction: Geek Office Supply Organizer

By Jumbleview.info
About: I work as software engineer in one of Bay Area (California) companies. Whenever I have a time I like to program micro controllers, build mechanical toys, and make some home improvement projects.

Here is office supply organizer made out of old computer components:

  • Server hard drives rack
  • Passive cooler from the old (1998) Pentium processor

It has two compartments for pen/pencils, one compartment for small items (like USB thumb drives, SD cars, and stapler), push-pins panel. It accommodates a few paper clips and there is a dedicated hook for the penknife.

While organizer indeed required some making (see next steps), business card holder I just took as is.

Step 1: Hard Drives Rack

I found it in the e-waste bin. That was a good metal component and I did not want it to be destroyed. So I decided to find some use for it.

Step 2: Plywood Elements

The rack provides the organizer base. Most of others elements I made out of 1/4 inch plywood.

On the left photo you can see these elements (from the right to the left, from the top to bottom):

  • Middle wall
  • Small compartment shelf
  • Back push-pin panel
  • Bottom
  • Front push-pin panel

On the right photo, you can see the front panel with pre-drilled holes (they matches rack holes).

Step 3: Assembling

I drilled holes in push-pin panels (to match holes on the rack body). I cut the middle layer of the push-pin holder out of an old computer mouse pad. Then the push-pin panel was mounted on the rack with mouse pad element between old panel and rack wall with holes.

The middle wall I inserted into the rack and secured it with screws through the rack holes dedicated for the mount of the hard drive.

On the photo you can see two parallel lines on the wall: this is marks to apply wooden glue. Compartment shelf attached to the wall by this glue strip. Elements of the rack I have bent inside to hold the shelf in place (last photo).

The bottom I screwed to the middle wall and back push-pin panel with four screws (after pre-drilling holes of course).

Step 4: Creating the Insert. Finishing

The last step is to create an insert for pens compartment. I made it of two parts: plywood strip with holes and wooden base. These parts I glued together and put inside compartment for pen and pencils. As far as the opening for the bottom compartment resembles a smiling mouth I added face elements (which I cut out of plywood) to make the creature more humanlike. And to finish I added the metal hook for a penknife.

Step 5: Organizer at Work

Here you see it.